1. Watch, Look and Listen to Learn Samba Timing
The best way to get started on learning the timing of the samba dance is to not actually dance it. Take a step back and watch someone else dance the samba. Look at their body movements and the movements of their feet. Listen to the beat of the music to feel the Samba and develop a feel for the rhythm of the music, so you can learn the timing of the Samba dance.
2. Understanding the Brazilian Samba
We mostly think of Samba as one of the ballroom styles of dance. It is that, but it's so much more. Samba is a Brazilian dance. In Brazil, the Samba is a folkdance, performed and danced in festivals and celebrations. The most famous of those is probably Rio and "Carnival Time." The Samba is fast, up beat and has lots of hip and body movement. In fact, the Samba is a hot and spicy dance that takes understanding before you can learn the timing of the actual dance.
3. Feel the Rhythm and Counts of the Samba
There may be many variations in the types and styles of the Samba dance, but most Sambas dance to the same rhythm. If an individual reads music, it would help to learn the Samba timing, as the Samba is usually in 2/4 or 4/4 timing; this means that the Samba is danced at two beats per musical bar or four beats per musical bar. Most dance steps are taught on an 8-count basis. Keeping that in mind, the fast-paced Samba dance moves are counted as 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8. That's 8 counts with a little Brazilian rhythm mixed in.
4. Put It All Together to Learn the Timing of the Samba Dance
Learning the timing of the Samba means you have to understand the dance is Brazilian in nature. You watch others to learn the feel and rhythm of the music. You learn to understand that the Samba dance is fun, fiery and fast. You put all that together with your background of music bars and typical 8 counts in a dance step and you're beginning to learn the timing of the Samba. The more you watch the Samba, the more you learn about it.
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